Pollution-free discharging and quenching apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for the controlled gas-free and dust-free discharge and quenching of coke for horizontally arranged coke furnace batteries includes a closed coke-receiving chamber which is provided with gas and dust exhaust devices. The chamber extends over the entire length of the coke battery and encloses the doors to the individual furnace chambers. In addition, the receiving chamber is connected with a quenching tower and it includes means for conducting the coke to a conveyor which leads to the quenching tower. The quenching tower itself includes either an arrangement of sprays directed over the conveyor or a quenching pool into which the coke is delivered and which includes a means for conveying the quenched coal into a receiving bin at the exterior of the quenching tower.

llnited States Patent [72] Inventors POLLUTION-FREE DISCHARGING AND QUENCHING APPARATUS 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 202/229, 202/230, 202/263 Int. Cl. Cl0b 33/00, ClOb 39/08, ClOb 39/12 Field of Search 202/227-230, 262, 263

[56] References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,367,844 2/1968 Cremer 202/227 3,373,086 3/1968 Wilson 202/230 X Primary Examiner-Norman Yudkofi' Assistant Examiner-David Edwards Attorney-McGlew and Toren ABSTRACT: A device for the controlled gas-free and dustfree discharge and quenching of coke for horizontally arranged coke furnace batteries includes a closed coke-receiving chamber which is provided with gas and dust exhaust devices. The chamber extends over the entire length of the coke battery and encloses the doors to the individual furnace chambers. In addition, the receiving chamber is connected with a quenching tower and it includes means for conducting the coke to a conveyor which leads to the quenching tower. The quenching tower itself includes either an arrangement of sprays directed over the conveyor or a quenching pool into which the coke is delivered and which includes a means for conveying the quenched coal into a receiving bin at the exteri or of the quenching tower.

PATENTEU M82819?! llllilllll SHEET 2 BF 5 INVENTORS Gerd Noshon Johannes Knoppstein by @jwiM ATTORNEYS PATENTED UEC28 197i SHEEI 3 BF 5 l/luV/l/IA INVENTORS Gerd Noshon Johannes Knoppsiein ATTORNEYS PATENTEU BEBZB an SHEET UF 5 INVENTORS Gerd Noshcln Johannes Knoppstein ikwf/im ATTORNEYS PATENTEB UEC28 I97! SHEET 5 BF 5 FIG.5

ATTORNEYS POLLUTION-FREE DISCHARGING AND QUENCHING APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the construction of coking furnaces and, in particular, to a new and useful device for facilitating the emission-free discharge and quenching of coke in horizontal coke furnace batteries.

In the public effort to keep the air clean it has been tried to limit or to avoid the emission of gases and dust in the operation of coking plants and also to take these requirements into consideration in the construction of the batteries for such plants. Numerous arrangements are already known or have been suggested for doing this. For example, hopper cars having bin outlets secured on the hopper frame and which have charging bins with a coal cushion as a seal against charging gases have been employed. In addition, sealing means are provided for the leveling rod which is introduced into the furnace chamber from the outside of the furnace. Also known are coking mass cars having hoods covering a quenching car and an exhaust and washing device for the gases and dust issuing from a glowing coke. In addition, devices have been provided which retain the dust carried along by the quenching vapors during the wet quenching of the coke in a quenching tower and which do not allow the dust to issue into the free atmosphere. Such devices may take the form of tanks into which blowing coke is poured from the coke chamber and which is then closed while the coke is quenched with liquid hydrocarbons or water to produce the generation of gases and vapors. All of the known arrangements have the disadvantage that the transportation of the blowing or hot coke in an open quencher car to the quenching tower cannot be avoided and the gases and dust pass from such car into the atmosphere. An apparatus which prevents the issuance of gases and dust during the charging of the glowing coke into the tanks to be closed is not known at the present time. In addition, tanks which could receive the entire contents of a modern coke furnace are not easy to manipulate in operation. For this reason a chamber charge is distributed over several tanks and when the tanks are replaced the issuance of dust into the atmosphere becomes unavoidable. A disadvantage of the wet quenching in closed tanks is also that the corrosion problem is not satisfactorily solved.

In accordance with the present invention, the issuance of dust and unwashed gases from the glowing coke on the coke side of horizontal coke furnace batteries is completely avoided. For this purpose, a coke-receiving chamber is arranged adjacent the front end of the coking battery on the coke side and it extends over the entire length of the battery and encloses the doors of the furnace chambers. The device is provided with gas exhaust devices and one longitudinal wall of the chamber is the coke side itself. The chamber is connected with a quenching tower by means for delivering the coke to the tower.

In one embodiment of the invention the coke-receiving chamber is provided with a trackway at floor level for a quenchers car, and a coke mass car is arranged to run alongside the battery on a trackway at an elevated location so that the mass car may discharge directly into the quencher car. The lower end of the outer wall of the receiving chamber is provided with a closing element which may be opened to orient the quencher car at a position to discharge along a delivery chute to a conveyor. The coke is quenched in a known manner in this embodiment in a quenching tower and is returned to the quenching car for delivery back to the cokereceiving chamber and dropped on the inclined ramp to the conveyor. During its sliding movement the coke pushes against swivel flaps to open the coke-receiving chamber for the passage of the coke and when the passage of the coke is completed the flaps close again. The quencher car itself may be moved by an automaticlocomotive or any other similar device. In this embodiment, the entire furnace charge is quenched in about a minute under the quenching tower by known quenching apparatus and the result is an intermitent operation of the quenching tower while it is highly loaded for a short period of time.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, however, the quenching of the furnace chamber charge can be extended for a period of time, for example, 7 minutes. This results in a much lower dust load per unit of time for the quenching tower and the danger of the dust and related gases being carried along into the atmosphere is considerably reduced. In addition, without giving up the advantage of the prevention of atmosphere pollution, the quenching tower can be made smaller in its cross section. Thus, for example, with a cross section of the quenching tower reduced by half, a considerably smaller load will still be obtained. Under certain circumstances the operation of the quenching tower can be continuous or substantially continuous. In this arrangement, the glowing coke is dropped over an inclined ramp onto a conveyor belt arranged in front of the coke battery and the coke is conveyed under a quenching tower having the known watering devices. The coke is quenched while resting on the conveyor belt and is dropped beyond the quenching tower over a turning sprocket into a coke bin. In this case, the inclined ramp arranged in front of the battery for delivery of the coke to the gasifier conveyor is not necessary.

In still another embodiment of the invention, a quenching basin is arranged under the quenching tower. A conveyor belt with the glowing coke piled thereon is arranged to extend obliquely downwardly to pass through the quenching basin. In addition, it is again arranged obliquely upwardly on the opposite end so that the glowing coke after dipping under the water surface of the quenching basin for quenching will be lifted out and dropped into a coke bin beyond the quenching tower. The conveyor belt can be subdivided and the glowing coke can be moved on a plane conveyor belt up to the quenching basin and dropped into the basin. An additional inclined chute may be arranged within the basin partly under the water surface and trained to carry the coke which is received into the basin upwardly out of the water and into a receiving bin.

In a still further embodiment of the invention two separate receiving chambers are arranged one after the other along side the front of the coke battery and each is provided with a dust and gas removal device. The second one is arranged lower than the first one in a position to receive the coke which is discharged from the first and it in turn has a lower end which empties directly over a conveyor for the coke.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for receiving, discharging, and wet quenching of glowing coke which is ejected on the coke side of a horizontal coke furnace battery and which includes a coke receiving chamber provided with gas and dust exhaust devices 14 which is arranged to extend over the entire length of the battery and which is connected to a quenching tower for the coke.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the discharge of glowing coke from a horizontally arranged coke battery which includes a receiving chamber having separate rail trackways for a mass car adapted to receive the coke from the coking furnace, and which car is movable to a position on a trackway to discharge into a quencher car, the quencher car being adapted to move along the receiving chamber to a quenching tower for quenching the coke.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for the emission-free discharge of glowing coke from a coke battery which includes a receiving chamber means for receiving the coke which has dust and gas removal devices and for delivering the coke from the chamber into a quenching apparatus which advantageously may include a spray arrangement or a liquid basin into which the coke is conveyed and then lifted outwardly for storage in a bin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coking furnace construction which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a schematic vertical section through a furnace battery having an emission-free discharge device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical longitudinal section through a coke-receiving chamber in which a conveying belt is adapted to be run through the coke-receiving chamber instead of the quencher car;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. is a view similar to FIG. I of another embodiment of the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein as indicated in FIG. 1, comprises a coke furnace battery generally designated 1 having its coke side covered by a roof l2 and a front wall 13 to define a coke receiving chamber ll along the complete length of the battery. A coke mass car 2 is arranged to run along an elevated trackway 3 in the coke-receiving chamber 11 and it is provided with a lower discharge chute 2a which may be arranged over a receiving chute 4a of a quencher car 4 which is arranged to run with its wheel sets 5 on track 6 located at ground level 7. The glowing coke which is delivered out of the furnace to the mass car 2 is delivered from the mass car into the quencher car 4 and any dust or gases which are produced are picked up through a perforated gas exhaust gas pipe which is arranged to extend longitudinally along the coke-receiving chamber 11 and to conduct gas and dust issuing from the coke into a quenching tower below the watering pipes and baffle plates as indicated in FIG. 2. The coke-receiving chamber 11 is connected to a quenching tower of the type indicated in FIG. 2 so that the quenching car 4 may be moved with its coke load into such tower.

When the quenching car 4 is returned back to a position indicated in FIG. I, the lower end thereof includes a discharge 4b which becomes aligned over an entrance chute 8a of an inclined ramp 8 which extends to the wall 13. The lower end of the ramp 8 is oriented over a conveyor 9 within an exterior chamber defined by walls I0. The conveyor 9 brings the coke which slides off the ramp 8 to a gasifying station (not shown). The lower end of the wall 13 is provided with a plurality of divided swivel flaps 15 along its length.

In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 2, the coke receiving chamber ll is similar to the receiving chamber 11 of FIG. 1 but has an end wall 16 which terminates in a through opening 160 for a conveyor 17 instead of a quencher car 4. The exhaust pipe I4 is identical with the exhaust pipe 14 of FIG. I. The conveyor 17 is of box-shaped configuration and it receives the glowing coke instead of the quencher car 4 and moves it through the opening 16a through a small chamber 49 and an opening 20a of a quenching tower wall 20 into the quenching tower. The quenching tower includes a foundation 28, oblique roof walls 19 and a central tubular tower portion I8. A spray conduit 23 carries a plurality of spaced spray and nozzles 24 which are oriented below the oblique roof [9 directly above the foundation 28 and the conveyor 17. A spray liquid for example water is supplied from a conduit 21 and a valve 22 into the conduit 23 which passes through the wall 20 of the spray tower.

The glowing coke which is carried on the conveyor belt is quenched by means of the water sprays in the tower and it is delivered over a turning sprocket 25 into and a bin 27 defined by walls 26. The exhaust pipe I4 extends from the coke receiving chamber 11 into the tower 18. Its discharge which is sucked off by a fan (not shown) exits in the chimney formed by the tower 18 at a location below spray nozzles 31. Baffle plates 30 at the upper end of the tower 18 provide a means for an entraining any dust particles which move upwardly through the spray with the exhaust gases and quenching vapors.

In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 3, there is provided a quenching tower generally designated which has a common end wall 16' with a coke-receiving chamber II". The quenching tower 100 includes a central tower portion or chimney 18' having baffles 30' and an upper spray 31'. In addition, below the oblique walls 35 thereof there is provided a water basin 34 defined above oblique walls 38 of the foundation. The glowing coke is moved by a conveyor 32 which then extends through an opening 102 of the wall 16 and downwardly into the basin 34 up to the central quenching water collecting main 29'. At the center of the basin 34 the conveyor 32 again extends upwardly to move the coke out of the water basin and thence to a discharge opening 104 where it terminates in a sprocket 37 which is oriented above a receiving bin 27 into which the coke is dumped. A water overflow control device 36 permits the adjustment of the height of the water level in the water basin 34.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, there is provided a quenching tower generally designated 106 which includes a wall 108 which is formed at one end of a coke-receiving chamber 11". Parts which are similar to the parts indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated with similar numerals but with additional primes. In this arrangement the glowing coke is dropped over a turning sprocket 40 from a conveyor belt 39 and falls through a chute 46 into the water basin 43. It falls onto a partly immersed inclined belt 44 which runs over a sprocket 41 and 45 and which is entrained to lift the coke upwardly out of the water basin while permitting any water accumulating thereon to return into the water basin. The water basin has a horizontal part 42 and an inclined bottom part 48. Water is supplied through a conduit 21a through sections 23a and 24a and through a valve 22a. The surface of the water is indicated at 47. The quenching vapors leave the quenching tower 18" upwardly past the sprays 31" and the baffles 30".

In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 5, a coke removal device similar to that indicated in FIG. 3, does not include the trackways for the coke mass car 2 and the quencher car 4 but instead includes an upper coke-receiving chamber 74 which enclosed one end of a coke battery I. The receiving chamber 74 includes a longitudinal wall 51 which slopes at its lower end inwardly toward the coke battery and which is provided with slide mouths or pivotal flaps 53 to permit flow of the coke therefrom and downwardly into a lower coke receiving chamber 50. The upper chamber 74 includes a top wall 66 and a dust and gas removal pipe 59 extends through the chamber 74 at a location adjacent the top wall 66. The coke battery I includes a laterally opening furnace chamber door 61 and a vertical supporting structure or frame 62 which carries a support 63 at its upper end for a receiver 64. A furnace uptake 65 extends from the upper part of the coke battery 1 into the receive 64.

The lower receiving chamber 50 includes a top wall 73 and a dust and gas removal pipe 60 which extends adjacent this top wall and terminates in a quencher. In addition, it includes a longitudinal wall 52 terminating in a discharge 58 directly above the movable conveyor 17. The conveyor 17 is supported on frame work 71. A portion of the upper wall 54 of an upper chamber 74 is continued in the form of an inclined wall 55 in the lower chamber 50 to facilitate the downward flow movement of the coke therealong. Upright supporting walls 68 and 69 are provided for reinforcing these walls and they are supported at their lower ends on the foundation wall 70 along with the extension 67 of the wall 68.

An example of the operation of the device is as follows:

, A coke furnace battery of 62 separate furnace chambers for coking 3,000 tons of coke daily with a coking time of hours is equipped with a coke exhaust device according to FIG. 5 arrangement. In addition, it is provided with a cokequenching device of the type indicated in FIG. 2. The upper chamber 74 has the greatest width of about 1% meters. The box-shaped conveyor belt 17 has a width of about 1 meter and it runs at a speed of meters per minute. By means of the discharge adjustment 58 the height of the charge is just 250 milimeters. The evacuation of the coke from the furnace chamber 1 takes about 7 minutes and also takes about 7 minutes for quenching under the quenching tower by means of the quenching nozzle 24. The coke is then dropped into the coke bin 27.

The coke-pushing cycle takes place at intervals of about 10 minutes, the pushing itself takes about i minute. The result is a substantially continuous operation of the quenching tower with a low load of the quenching tower in respect to dust and vapor removals.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for receiving, discharging and wet quenching of glowing coke which is ejected through furnace chamber doors on the coke side of a horizontal coke furnace battery for delivery into a quenching tower, comprising means defining a closed coke-receiving chamber extending over the entire length of the coke battery and enclosing the doors of the coke furnace chambers, means in said receiving chamber for exhausting gas and dust therefrom, and means connecting said receiving chamber to a quenching tower.

2. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including means defining a first trackway for a quencher car along said receiving chamber, a quencher car movable along said first trackway, means defining a second trackway at an elevation above said first trackway for a mass car, a mass car adapted to move along said trackway and having a discharge chute at its lower end oriented over said quencher car, said means defining said receiving chamber including a wall having an opening in a position adjacent said first trackway for receiving coke from the quencher car for delivery out of said receiving chamber.

3. An apparatus, according to claim 2, wherein said wall includes an opening adjacent its lower end thereof for facilitating the movement of coke from the quencher car therethrough, and a closing element in said opening adapted to be moved to an opened position by the coke bearing thereagainst.

4. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including means defining an inclined ramp within said receiving chamber, a conveyor located to receive the coke delivered from the coking battery along said inclined ramp and for conveying it to a quenching tower.

5. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including a quenching tower, said quenching tower having spray quenching means adapted to spray onto the coke passing therethrough.

6. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including a quenching tower, said quenching tower having a liquid quenching basin, conveying means for delivering said coke to said basin and for lifting said coke out of said basin after being quenched therein.

7. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said cokereceiving chamber includes an upper receiving chamber portion having a delivery chute wall, and a lower receiving chamber having a wall formed as a continuation of said upper receiving chamber each of said receiving chambers having means therein for removal of dust and gases.

8. An apparatus, according to claim 7, wherein said upper regulating the flow of coke from said upper receiving chamber into said lower receiving chamber.

9. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said receiving chamber is defined by a top wall extending outwardly from said coke battery, and a longitudinal wall extending downwardly from said top wall at a spaced location from said coke battery, said longitudinal wall having at least one opening therethrough with closable means for closing said opening. 10. An apparatus, according to claim 9, including a chute extending through the openings of said wall in a position to receive a discharge from a quencher car, and a conveyor oriented below said chute for conducting the coke to a gasifi- 

2. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including means defining a first trackway for a quencher car along said receiving chamber, a quencher car movable along said first trackway, means defining a second trackway at an elevation above said first trackway for a mass car, a mass car adapted to move along said trackwAy and having a discharge chute at its lower end oriented over said quencher car, said means defining said receiving chamber including a wall having an opening in a position adjacent said first trackway for receiving coke from the quencher car for delivery out of said receiving chamber.
 3. An apparatus, according to claim 2, wherein said wall includes an opening adjacent its lower end thereof for facilitating the movement of coke from the quencher car therethrough, and a closing element in said opening adapted to be moved to an opened position by the coke bearing thereagainst.
 4. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including means defining an inclined ramp within said receiving chamber, a conveyor located to receive the coke delivered from the coking battery along said inclined ramp and for conveying it to a quenching tower.
 5. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including a quenching tower, said quenching tower having spray quenching means adapted to spray onto the coke passing therethrough.
 6. An apparatus, according to claim 1, including a quenching tower, said quenching tower having a liquid quenching basin, conveying means for delivering said coke to said basin and for lifting said coke out of said basin after being quenched therein.
 7. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said coke-receiving chamber includes an upper receiving chamber portion having a delivery chute wall, and a lower receiving chamber having a wall formed as a continuation of said upper receiving chamber each of said receiving chambers having means therein for removal of dust and gases.
 8. An apparatus, according to claim 7, wherein said upper receiving chamber includes a divided closing element for regulating the flow of coke from said upper receiving chamber into said lower receiving chamber.
 9. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said receiving chamber is defined by a top wall extending outwardly from said coke battery, and a longitudinal wall extending downwardly from said top wall at a spaced location from said coke battery, said longitudinal wall having at least one opening therethrough with closable means for closing said opening.
 10. An apparatus, according to claim 9, including a chute extending through the openings of said wall in a position to receive a discharge from a quencher car, and a conveyor oriented below said chute for conducting the coke to a gasifier. 